Things Not Seen, by Andrew Clements / Islay Storm - Part 2

The pair finishes they’re discussion of Things not Seen by Andrew Clements. Ethan threatans to take his toys and go home, but he can’t quit the podcast, Michael, or you, the gentle listener. So he sticks it out to give you his thoughts on this YA Sci-Fi adventure.

Bonus: at the end, they talk about Jonathan Franzen’s “10 Rules for Novelists.”

In this episode:

  • Nothing of value is said in the first 5 minutes.

  • They debate the finer points of interrogatives and declaratives.

  • There’s also a long debate about the classic dilemma: Invisibility or Flight?

  • Michael wants to make things as ambiguous as possible.

  • Spoilers for The Fault in Our Stars.

  • They have abundant theories about why antiquated internet technologies failed.

  • They prove they’re as hip as the cool kids….

  • Michael shows his age.

  • There is a wife-intrusion, and they don’t talk about MBMBaM.

  • We learn why it took Ethan so long to read Harry Potter.

  • Ethan mangles the Bible, and Michael fixes it. Hebrews 11:1.

  • Look up Sean Patrick Little.

  • Ignore the 10 Rules for Novelists.

Their next book will be The Plains by Gerald Murnane.  Join the discussion!  Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line.  We'd love to hear from you!  And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page.

Donate to our Patreon!

Your Hosts: Michael G. Lilienthal (@mglilienthal) and

Ethan Bartlett (@bjartlett)

"Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco.  Used by permission.

"The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua.  Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

"Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere.  Used under an Attribution License.

Intermission” by Unthunk. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial License.